“An egg?”

Behind the lifeless duck there’s a single egg.

Shac cautiously reached for the egg. ”It’s still warm.”

The duck lay motionless, its life is already gone.

Shac couldn’t believe that despite the situation, there had been no further incidents.

It looks like I’m fine, even though the duck already died.

Did I make a mistake thinking I will be dying along with the duck? Because it doesn’t make any sense that everyone in the school collapses after the duckling died…

Does it mean it’s just a coincidence? I don’t know…

But what surprises him most was the discovery of the egg, the only single evidence he knew that the duck was female.

I thought it was a male, but this egg proves that it is a female. It’s not that I know beforehand, I just assume it was a male. But…

As he held the egg in his hand, Shac understood its significance. This single egg came from a creature capable of lethal force, capable of killing people.

How could she have laid an egg in just one week?

Shac noticed how odd it was for a duck to lay an egg in just a week, although he was not knowledgeable about ducks, he knew they don’t lay eggs in just a matter of a week.

Once more, Shac gazed at the duck, kneeling beside it.

-sigh- Who would have imagined you’d suddenly pass away and leave behind an egg. You truly are a mysterious creature.

If only you could have explained what exactly is happening, and why you left this single piece of an egg behind.

But the lifeless duck remained silent.

“Rest peacefully.” Shac bid farewell to the duck. Carefully, he placed the egg on a nearby chair with a pillow on it, ensuring it remained intact.

He grabbed the duck’s lifeless body inside the wooden box. "Look how quickly things change, who would’ve thought you would grow this fast.”

Placing back the body to the wooden box, he placed the box to the side. He picked up the nearby shovel and began digging a hole, deep enough for the burial of the duck.

I’m not sure how to feel about this. But I’m both saddened by her death, and yet relieved I survived unharmed.

Once ready, Shac lifted the duck’s body again and gently lowered it into the prepared grave, gradually covering it with dirt.

-stomp- -stomp- -stomp-

“Goodbye.”

× × × × × × × × × ×

“Agh! What am I supposed to do with this now?” Shac scratched his head, frustrated by the dilemma of what to do with the egg.

The egg has been placed in the pillow.

“Are you expecting me to watch as your egg slowly rots away?” Shac voiced his complaint, knowing the duck couldn’t respond.

Without its mother, Shac understood it was only a matter of time before the egg spoils.

I managed to survive, but now this… Why did she lay an egg that’s destined to rot? What’s the purpose of all this? What am I supposed to do?

No answers came to Shac. What was left is the uncertainty of the future of the egg. “Haaah…” I wonder how long would it take before it starts to rot… -sigh- One problem after another…

But, I must say this is better than me dying of suffocation over and over again. Although I’m not sure what I am supposed to do with the egg…

“Aghhh!”

Without much to do, Shac decided to rest again, hoping to recover the energy he lost this early in the morning.

× × × × × × × × × ×

“An egg!?” Ivan shouted, surprised.

“Hey! calm down, you don’t need to shout.”

“My bad.” Ivan chuckled. “I bet it’s only a matter of time before it dies.” “That’s what I’ve been saying, it’s only been a day and there’s already a crack.” “A crack? Maybe you accidentally pressed it too hard?”

“No no, there’s no way.” Shac denied, knowing he placed it carefully without pressing it too hard.

“Really? But how come it has a crack? That doesn’t make any sense.”

“I know. I placed it carefully on the pillow yesterday without any problems. But, I noticed the middle part of the egg shows a small scratch, or a sign of cracks? I’m not too sure.”

“That’s odd if you think about it.”

I know, but it’s the duckling we are talking about! It’s supposed to do the unimaginable thing! Well, it’s not that Ivan knew about it.

But in any case, I should expect the unexpected.

“I’ll check on later, there might be some changes.”

“Still, the duck grew in a week and left behind an egg. What’s more is that it’s only a single egg?” Ivan questioned. “That’s definitely not normal, I can tell you that.”

Ivan knew that there’s something wrong about it, as it doesn’t seem normal. “Are you sure that’s the only thing that happened?” Ivan added, looking at Shac. “Yeah?”

I mean that’s all, if there is something else, then that would be the time when the duckling dies and I get killed for some reason.

But it’s not something he should be worried about.

Ivan took a glance at Shac and look away. “Be sure to tell me next time.” “About the egg? Sure, I’ll tell you tomorrow if there are changes.” “Right, but It’s too late.”

Too late?

“Hm? What do you mean?” Shac wondered.

“For the egg.”

Ah…

“I guess. I’ve been wondering how long it would take for the egg to rot behind. But… I’m not quite sure what to do with it, the mother already died.” Shac scratches his head.

Unauthorized reproduction: this story has been taken without approval. Report sightings.

“From the looks of it, you need to throw it away.” Ivan suggested.

“I’ll probably continue watching for a bit longer.” Shac expressed uncertainty about the idea.

-sigh- Ivan sighed upon hearing Shac’s reply.

“What’s with the sigh?” Shac asks, confused by the sudden sigh of Ivan. “You remember the abandoned houses?”

“Why did you suddenly change the topic?”

“Just tell me what you remember about it.”

Abandoned houses… Ah, the houses behind the large mango tree. “The houses behind the large mango tree?”

“That one, so what do you remember about it?”

“It’s abandoned, and… That’s all I know.”

Ivan facepalmed. “I know that it’s abandoned, but don’t you remember any stories about that place?”

Stories?

“Stories? Wait let me think for a bit…”

If I remember right, not a long time ago there were still families residing in that place. Like three years ago maybe?

“Something about them abandoning the house? Like three years ago?” “Well the truth is they didn’t abandon it, the people vanished.”

“They vanished?”

I don’t remember anything like that.

“Yeah… Wait, how come you didn’t know anything about this story?” “Uh… I probably didn’t care about it in the first place.” Shac scratches his head. “I bet.”

“So what exactly are you trying to tell me?”

“I want you to throw away the egg, right now.”

“And what does it have to do with the abandoned houses?”

Shac wondered, why did Ivan mentioned the abandoned houses in the First place.

“I can’t go into details right now, but we need to make sure the egg is thrown away far from everyone.”

“Is it important?”

“If you don’t want something bad to happen, then you need to do it as fast as possible.”

I see, Ivan knew something about the egg.

“Got it, then we should get it as fast as possible.”

Ivan nodded in response.

Shac and Ivan dashed out of the school, trying to reach the egg before something happens.

× × × × × × × × × ×

-pant- “Haah… It’s still far.” Shac said, trying to catch his breath. “Let’s take a break for a minute.” Ivan suggested.

“Ah thanks… it’s so incredibly hard to breathe.”

Haaah… finally…

“Take it easy, we still have a minute.”

“Looks like you’re fine.”

“It’s nothing new, I do running every once in a while.”

“Oh… I didn’t know about that.”

After recovering his breath for a few seconds, Shac decided to ask Ivan about what’s lingering on his mind for a while.

“If you wouldn’t mind me asking, care to tell me now Ivan… Who exactly are you?”

Surprised by the sudden seriousness, Ivan looked at Shac and smiled. “Don’t look at me like that, I’m not your enemy.”

“Sorry, it’s just I’ve been on the edge for a while now.” Shac smiled awkwardly as he scratched his head.

“I totally get it."

He gets it?

“What do you mean you get it?”

"From the looks of it, it looks like you’ve been looping for a while now.” Huh!?

“How!? How did you know about it?”

“Hahaha… You could say I’ve been cursed by the duck too.”

“You’ve been cursed too? You mean it’s a curse?”

What… Did I just get curse by a duck? This is a curse? I never thought about that. But that makes sense, this is clearly a curse.

This might be the reason why he’s so fixated about the ducks, since he is cursed too. “Yes, that’s what I’ve been calling it, being cursed.” Ivan remarked.

“I see, that make sense, I’ve been wondering for a while now why you kept on asking about the duck. This might be the reason, it’s because you’re the same as me." Shac commented, nodding, bowing his head slightly in thought.

Ivan chuckled, knowing Shac finally realized about it.

“I was trying to make sure if the duck is cursed or not, that’s why I’m asking if something unusual happened yet.” Ivan glanced at Shac “It looks like you’ve been hiding it for a while now based on your reaction, hm?”

I can’t deny that.

“Well, you can’t just expect me to say: ‘Ivan, I died multiple times now.’ right?”

“Right.” Ivan laughs. “I might think you’re beyond saving if you suddenly say something like that to me.”

“Thank you for understanding.” Shac lowered his head.

“Thank you for understanding me too.” Ivan lowered his head in response. “Why are you copying me now?”

“I am not…”

“Well, I want to ask something, but it’s not the best time right now.” “You’re right, but let me tell you something first in case you don’t know.” “Oh, What is it?”

“You’re about to die.”

Shac tensed as he heard what Ivan just said. “Are you for real? I thought I had already escaped death.”

“Unfortunately not. I can’t go into details right now, but if I’m not wrong, you’re not supposed to let the egg rot.”

“Is that the case?”

Then it means, I’m bound to die sooner or later, knowing that the mother already died.

“Yes, although I’m not quite sure about what’s going to happen. All I can say is that, it is connected to how people vanished.”

“So, is the story about the abandoned houses true after all?”

“That’s what I’ve been told.”

“Been told? By who?”

“Someone from the past, a cursed person too.”

Another cursed person?

“What… there are others too?”

“Obviously, there must be a lot now. But she’s the only other cursed person I’ve met, you’re the second.”

If both Ivan and that person are cursed, how are they still alive and well now? Did they manage to escape the loop?

“How did you manage to survive?”

“Pure luck, you could say.” Ivan smiled.

“It looks like you’re not going to help me.”

“Not today. It’s not that I don’t want to help you, but you’re about to lose this time.” -sigh- “Do you have anything to say at least?”

Ivan rest his arms to Shac’s shoulders. “Reach out to me as soon as you get back. Be sure to tell me everything, and I will do my best to help you.”

Shac smiled upon hearing such words from Ivan. He could feel that he was finally about to move forward.

“Thanks. Do you know anything about what’s going to happen to me?”

“Not something that I’m aware of." Ivan paused. "I do remember she said that when the egg rots, the cursed person will die by vanishing.”

“By vanishing? Not by getting suffocated?” Shac asked in surprise, realizing that there’s more to it than people suffocating.

“No, that only happens when the duckling dies.”

So it is different when the duck lays an egg?

“Ah, that’s wh—”

-gulp- Something unknown suddenly shoots into Shac’s mouth at an unbelievable speed.

What was that?

“I felt something get into my mouth incredibly fast…”

”What do you mean?”

“I don’t… know…” Shac shrugged his shoulders.

“Ah I see… that’s what’s about to happen.”

“What!? What do you mean?”

“It looks like you’re about to burst out.” Ivan commented.

“Burst out? What is… that supposed… to mean…?”

Slowly, Shac’s body started to get larger and larger.

Wait what? My body…

Shac looked at his hand as it became more and more visible that his hands were getting bigger and bigger.

My hands… It’s getting bigger…

He looked at Ivan, thinking he could save him, but he knew this was the end for this time.

“Run!” Shac shouted at Ivan, who was just standing in front of him. But instead of running, Ivan instead approaches Shac.

“See you Shac.” Ivan grabbed Shac’s hand, shaking it. “Don’t worry, it’s not the end.”

No… you should run…

Slowly, his body begins to swell and expand, shifting to a more bloated form.

As Shac watched his body slowly changing, he smiled painfully, knowing he was about to die.

“See you… lat—”

-snap- -splat

Shac’s body exploded violently, his insides tearing apart from the overload of oxygen. Flesh and bones were shredded and scattered, his organs burst and disintegrate under the immense pressure. Blood sprayed in every direction, painting the surroundings in red.

God… This is just too brutal… Ivan thought to himself.

All that remained of Shac was a red-painted road.